Harney defends first year as Health Minister

TÁNAISTE Mary Harney last night strongly defended her first 12 months as Health Minister, contending her reforms would lead to a “once-in-a-generation change in health management and policy”.

In a robust response to a Labour Party motion challenging her record since taking over the portfolio in September 2004, Ms Harney said her record compared favourably with any 12-month period of the term of the Rainbow Government in the 1990s.

She claimed the opposition could not show any one-year period between 1993 and 1997 when Labour or Fine Gael ministers produced any lasting reforms.